Gendered Framing and the Politics of Equality: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Kenyan Policy and Presidential Speeches

Abstract

Kenya has adopted progressive gender equality frameworks over the last two decades. Legal reforms promise inclusion, representation, and protection. Yet gender inequality remains deeply rooted in social and political life. This paper examines how gender is constructed in Kenyan public discourse. It focuses on national policy texts and selected presidential speeches. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, the study investigates lexical choices, agency patterns, and discursive strategies. The analysis shows that policy language promotes equality at a rhetorical level. However, it often frames women as vulnerable, dependent, or instrumental to development. Male authority remains structurally centered. The paper argues that linguistic framing shapes public understanding of gender justice. It concludes that transformative equality requires discursive change, not only legal reform.